Chapter Summaries

Su Can intervened when Zhao Chunyang and his friends cornered Chen Lingshan and Li Lumei, but the confrontation shifted when the No. 2 High School students recognized Su Can from Liu Rui’s stories. As Yang Mu pushed for a fight, Wang Weiwei, Lin Zouwen, and Lin Luoran arrived to back Su Can, and Lin Zouwen called them “Su Can’s Army.”

• Zhao Chunyang blocked Chen Lingshan and Li Lumei after school and pressured Chen Lingshan to go out with him that evening.
• Su Can stopped Zhao Chunyang from grabbing Chen Lingshan and told him to respect her refusal.
• Liu Rui recognized Su Can and explained that he did not approve of Zhao Chunyang’s harassment, while the other boys reacted to Su Can’s reputation.
• Yang Mu challenged Liu Rui to choose between Su Can and Zhao Chunyang, then insisted that Zhao Chunyang’s pursuit still had to be settled.
• Wang Weiwei, Lin Zouwen, and Lin Luoran arrived beside Su Can, and Lin Zouwen announced that they were Su Can’s Army.

Su Can stopped Yang Mu from turning the confrontation at No. 1 High School into a brawl by catching him off guard and knocking him down. After the crowd settled, Chen Lingshan thanked Su Can but left with Li Weimei, feeling that the distance between them had grown.

• Lin Zouwen told the No. 2 High School students that he and the others were Su Can's Army, while Wang Weiwei appeared and helped ease tensions.
• Yang Mu provoked Su Can's group and threatened Liu Rui when Liu tried to defuse the confrontation; Chen Lingshan stepped forward to keep the others from getting involved.
• Su Can called out Wang Haoran, then kicked Yang Mu into his path, allowing Wang Haoran to trample Yang Mu.
• Liu Rui calmed the No. 2 High School students as the No. 1 High School crowd rallied behind Su Can; Wang Weiwei showed displeasure at Su Can's sudden attack.
• Chen Lingshan thanked Su Can, then left with Li Weimei and wondered why she and Su Can seemed farther apart.

Su Can joined Wang Weiwei and their friends at a karaoke club, where he intervened after a man struck one of the girls working in a neighboring room. Meanwhile, Wang Bu worried that Jin Donghai’s appointment might be part of Liu Cheng’s political maneuvering.

• Liu Rui complained that rumors about Yang Mu’s bruised face had ruined his friendship with Yang Mu, and Su Can warned him to be careful around the school bathrooms.
• Jin Donghai proposed more police vehicles and funding at a Standing Committee meeting, but Wang Bu rejected his requests, prompting Hong Xiaotian to remark that the vote had been close.
• Wang Bu worried that Liu Cheng had helped place Jin Donghai in Xiahai City and might threaten his political position.
• Su Can joined Wang Weiwei, Lin Zouwen, and Lin Luoran at Ding Sheng Karaoke City after declining their earlier invitation to eat hot pot.
• A man from the neighboring karaoke room slapped one of the fleeing girls and threatened Cheng Lan, so Su Can stepped forward to confront him.

Su Can defended Cheng Lan after she fled harassment at Ding Sheng Karaoke City, and Wang Weiwei wrecked the venue’s equipment when its manager and security guards threatened them. The police arrived in force to investigate the KTV for suspected organized illegal prostitution, leaving its owner Zhao Pockmark realizing the raid was not what he had expected.

• Cheng Lan told Su Can that the KTV had trapped her with a contract and that a customer had groped her, so Su Can confronted the manager and defended her.
• Manager Yang and the middle-aged customer threatened Su Can, while Lin Zouwen and Wang Weiwei joined him and security guards smashed nearby glass.
• Run Junhao appeared from a neighboring room, and Wang Weiwei entered it and smashed its television before ordering Lin Zouwen to call his father.
• When the middle-aged man charged Wang Weiwei, Zhang Sheng knocked him down and restrained him as the security guards and Run Junhao’s group backed off.
• Zhao Pockmark welcomed arriving police, but armed police and plainclothes officers sealed the KTV and Zhao Lijun announced a full investigation into suspected organized illegal prostitution.

After helping Cheng Lan, Su Can urged her to decide what she truly wanted, while Wang Bu responded calmly to Wang Weiwei’s role in the Dingsheng Karaoke City crackdown. Wang Bu used the operation to strengthen his position in Xiahai and later visited Su Can’s family shop, leaving the political struggle and the family’s new public standing in motion.

• Su Can refused Cheng Lan’s offer and comforted her, telling her to think about what she wanted from life before choosing a path.
• Wang Bu welcomed Wang Weiwei, Lin Zouwen, and Lin Luoran home with tea, then told Wang Weiwei to learn from his impulsive actions and make sure future opponents felt the consequences.
• Wang Bu revealed that the crackdown on Dingsheng Karaoke City was a counterattack against Jin Donghai and a way to raise Zhao Lijun’s standing in the public-security system.
• Su Can followed signs of growing political tension between Wang Bu’s allies and provincial interests while Wang Bu planned visits to local businesses.
• Wang Bu visited Su Licheng and Zeng He’s cultural supplies shop, and his public outreach helped spread his reputation as the “People-Friendly Secretary.”

Su Can showed his parents that their institutional supply business had reached its practical limit, while their retail shops held less than one percent of Xiahai City's stationery market. He urged them to expand through more branches, and Zeng He agreed to consider borrowing money for another shop, though the family still lacked capital.

• Wang Bu's public visits boosted the reputation of the Su family's stationery shop and brought it more institutional orders.
• Su Licheng calculated that their institutional sales might reach 1.4 million yuan for the year, while Zeng He estimated the two storefronts brought in about 1.2 to 1.3 million yuan annually.
• At a family meeting, Su Can asked his parents to estimate their shares of Xiahai City's institutional and retail stationery markets.
• Su Can explained that institutional sales had little room to grow, but expanding retail to ten percent of the market could bring annual sales of ten million yuan.
• Zeng He agreed to look for another branch location and said she could borrow from Su Can's eldest uncle, while Su Can recognized that lack of capital remained their main obstacle.

At the City First Middle School awards assembly, Su Can kissed Tang Wu on the cheek in front of the assembled students, shocking the school. He told her it was all for her, and Tang Wu was moved by his words.

• Su Can and Tang Wu stood together among the City Model Students during the flag-raising ceremony.
• Su Can teased Tang Wu until her nervousness eased, then kissed her cheek as she turned toward him.
• Students across the field erupted in surprise, while Principal Ding Juntao noticed Su Can and Tang Wu and turned away.
• Yue Zijiang, Li Weimei, Chen Lingshan, and Xue Yiyang reacted with shock to the kiss.
• Su Can told Tang Wu, “It's all just for you,” and she looked at him with reddened eyes.

After Su Can and Tang Wu kissed publicly at the school assembly, Xiao Rihua defended them against teachers who wanted to punish them. Su Can walked home with Tang Wu, then joined her and Zeng Na for fried potatoes, where he realized how happy the simple moment made him.

• Xiao Rihua dismissed criticism of Su Can and Tang Wu's public kiss, while other teachers threatened to report him.
• Su Can and Xue Yiyang discussed how Xiao Rihua and Yin Xiaotian had reacted to the incident.
• Su Can waited for Tang Wu after school, and they walked together while she teased him about the kiss.
• Zeng Na invited Su Can and Tang Wu to eat fried potatoes at a roadside stall.
• Tang Wu enjoyed the snack, and Su Can felt moved by sharing the ordinary moment with her.

NATO intensified its bombardment of Yugoslavia, and Lin Guozhou witnessed the danger facing the embassy staff before returning home as negotiations continued. Meanwhile, Su Can’s family opened a third shop in Xiahai City with support from Zeng Qu anming, who increasingly trusted Su Can’s judgment.

• NATO expanded its attacks on Yugoslav government offices and civilian infrastructure, plunging Belgrade into darkness and destroying the Serbia Socialist Party headquarters.
• Lin Guozhou visited the embassy rooftop, where a cruise missile struck a nearby hotel, and urged the staff to stay safe before leaving Yugoslavia.
• Lin Guozhou asked Ambassador Pan about negotiations; Pan said the Red Berets were cooperating and expected a satisfactory result soon.
• Su Can’s family opened a third store near City First Middle School, and Zeng He persuaded Yin Shuying that the location and professional approach would make it successful.
• Zeng Qu anming supported the expansion and reflected that Su Can’s achievements had changed how he viewed his nephew and his future.

Su Can and Tang Wu grew closer as they walked to school together, while their classmates began gossiping about them. At home, Su Can recalled NATO’s coming bombing of the Chinese embassy and considered how he could use the media to warn people and possibly prevent it.

• Tang Wu waited for Su Can beneath a banyan tree, and they went to a stationery shop together.
• Su Can repaired Tang Wu’s fountain pen and bought her stationery from his family’s shop, then explained that the purchase would be charged to his mother’s account.
• Tang Wu agreed to spend time with Su Can on weekends, and the two entered school together as students watched them.
• On the bus home, Chen Jie and Zhang Miao asked Xue Yiyang about Su Can, and Su Can identified himself.
• Su Can recalled the May 8, 1999 bombing of the Chinese embassy and considered using the media to warn people and change what happened.

Su Can researched current affairs at Wang Bu’s home and worked on an article using the study’s computer and reference materials. A prank with bitter coffee led to Lin Luoran falling onto him, and the chapter ended with books tumbling from the shelves as Su Can warned her to watch out.

• Su Can studied current-affairs materials and began drafting an article, then called Lin Luoran to borrow the computer at her home.
• Su Can used Wang Bu’s study computer and reference publications to research and write his article.
• Lin Luoran brought Su Can bitter espresso and teased him about Tang Wu, but he drank the whole cup.
• Lin Luoran and Su Can lost their footing and fell while she tried to take the cup from him.
• Books fell from the bookcase onto Lin Luoran as she landed on Su Can, who told her to watch out.

After an awkward encounter leaves Lin Luoran tearful but reconciled with Su Can, he spends Sunday with Tang Wu. When they encounter Chen Chong carrying a knife, Su Can calmly holds Tang Wu’s hand, and Chen Chong rides away without attacking.

• Su Can apologized to Lin Luoran after accidentally hurting her, and she demanded that he return for bitter coffee as punishment.
• Su Can met Tang Wu on Sunday, and they rode a bus, ate snacks, and enjoyed the afternoon together.
• Su Can spotted Chen Chong across an intersection and noticed him slip a knife into his hand.
• Su Can took Tang Wu’s hand and calmly faced Chen Chong, who rode past them and disappeared without attacking.

After explaining how he had managed the confrontation with Chen Chong, Su Can surprised Tang Wu and everyone in the café by trying to kiss her. Tang Wu stopped him, and Su Can apologized and suggested they leave, while she worried that she had hurt him.

• Su Can told Tang Wu that he had watched Chen Chong closely and acted unguarded to reduce the chance of provoking him.
• Tang Wu admired Su Can’s composure, while other students in the café whispered that the two were an unlikely pair.
• Su Can lifted Tang Wu’s chin and leaned in to kiss her in front of the café patrons.
• Tang Wu turned away and pleaded with Su Can not to kiss her.
• Su Can squeezed Tang Wu’s hand, apologized for being too forward, and suggested they go somewhere quieter.
• Tang Wu felt moved by Su Can’s gentleness and wondered whether he was hurt.

Su Can and Tang Wu spent the afternoon together before walking to the Justice Bureau family compound where Tang Wu lived. After Su Can said goodbye, Tang Wu stopped him with a kiss and invited him inside.

• Su Can and Tang Wu ate beef rice noodles, and the waitress teased them by calling Su Can Tang Wu's boyfriend.
• Su Can walked Tang Wu through an affluent residential area and learned that her home was in the Xiahai City Justice Bureau Family Compound.
• Su Can reflected that he had rushed Tang Wu at the café and resolved to respect her boundaries and take their relationship slowly.
• Su Can started to leave, but Tang Wu called him back, kissed him, and asked him to come inside because no one was home.

Su Can visited Tang Wu at her family’s home, where they watched a horror movie and shared a late-night meal. The evening ended with Tang Wu hiding her sadness after a call from her mother, then telling Su Can she was going to shower.

• Su Can accompanied Tang Wu into her family compound and saw how the children admired her.
• Tang Wu brought Su Can into her spacious home and explained that her parents were away and she would be alone for several days.
• Tang Wu and Su Can watched Ring, and she leaned against him when the film frightened her.
• Su Can cooked fried rice with sausage and vegetables, and he and Tang Wu ate together with red wine.
• Tang Wu received a call from her mother, who urged her to prepare herself and make a decision soon.
• Tang Wu concealed her sadness, washed the dishes, and told Su Can she was going to take a shower.

Su Can stayed overnight at Tang Wu’s home, and the two shared a vulnerable moment in her bedroom. Tang Wu asked him to forget what happened after that night, but Su Can promised he would never forget her.

• Su Can called his mother and said he would stay at a classmate’s house instead of coming home.
• Tang Wu teased Su Can about his excuse after she gave him her father’s sleepwear and invited him to share her bed.
• Tang Wu told Su Can she had grown used to being alone and admitted she felt lonely, so he drew her into his arms.
• Tang Wu told Su Can he could do anything he wanted but asked him to forget her after that night.
• Su Can refused to forget Tang Wu and held her as she cried.

Su Can woke beside Tang Wu after their intimate night, and they went to school together, drawing attention from everyone on the bus. Xue Yiyang watched their closeness leave his classmates speechless, and the chapter ended with his soccer buddy awkwardly greeting him.

• Su Can woke to find Tang Wu making breakfast, and they left for school together.
• On the bus, Xue Yiyang heard classmates debate whether Tang Wu was dating and tried to tell them that Su Can had kissed her, but they dismissed him.
• Tang Wu boarded the bus and waited for Su Can, making the watching students fall silent.
• Su Can and Tang Wu sat beside Xue Yiyang, and Su Can held Tang Wu close before greeting his friend.
• Xue Yiyang's soccer buddy awkwardly waved and said, "Hi! Old Xue."

Su Can and Tang Wu grew closer as he openly took her hand after Yue Zijiang pleaded for a chance with her. They began sharing daily meals and trips to school, leaving Su Can to cherish their quiet time together.

• Xue Yiyang teased Su Can about Tang Wu and noticed Chen Lingshan looking downcast when she saw them together.
• Xue Yiyang waited with Su Can after school and encountered Yue Zijiang and Wang Haoran’s group outside the gates.
• Yue Zijiang asked Tang Wu to be friends and write letters, but she told him he could be wonderful without being right for her.
• Su Can took Tang Wu’s hand and led her away as Wang Haoran restrained Yue Zijiang from following.
• Su Can and Tang Wu went to her home, cooked and ate dinner together, and continued spending their days going to school and sharing meals.

Su Can’s anonymous commentary, “When the Nightingale No Longer Cries,” spread through online forums and newspapers, provoking a national debate over its prediction that NATO might bomb the Chinese embassy in Yugoslavia. At City First Middle School, Su Can stayed vague when classmates asked what he thought, leaving them amused and unconvinced.

• Su Can published the commentary online under the pen name “From the Future” and sent it to several traditional media outlets.
• The article’s readership grew, and commenters argued over whether NATO might attack the Chinese embassy; a Peking University graduate student and a Tsinghua student ridiculed the prediction while others defended it.
• China Youth Daily published the commentary, followed by Provincial Daily and Xiahai City Daily, prompting further public discussion.
• Li Weimei and Wang Xuebing discussed the article at City First Middle School, where classmates repeated rumors about the identity of From the Future.
• A girl defended the prediction, but Wang Xuebing and Mao Xiaoshi mocked it and cited the article’s negative reception.
• Chen Lingshan asked Su Can for his opinion, and he said he supported From the Future because the topic was on point, prompting snickers from several classmates.

During a politics class, Su Can defended his view that NATO and the Southern Alliance acted from their own interests, drawing applause and Tang Wu’s admiration. After school, he walked hand in hand with Tang Wu until they reached the gates, where her mother saw them together.

• Gong Fulu discussed NATO’s bombing campaign in Kosovo and challenged the class to consider whether NATO might attack Yugoslavia’s supporters, including China’s embassy.
• Zhang Xi singled out Su Can, who argued that powerful blocs pursued their interests behind high-sounding justifications; the class applauded his answer.
• Chen Lingshan invited Su Can and Tang Wu to her birthday party on Saturday, and Tang Wu accepted.
• Su Can and Tang Wu walked together after school, held hands, and teased each other about their closeness.
• A woman who resembled Tang Wu waited beside a black sedan outside the school and saw Su Can and Tang Wu holding hands; Tang Wu let go, and Su Can realized the woman was her mother.